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Thursday, January 07, 2016

Coca-Cola Crimea Map Move Sparks Ukraine Boycott Calls

KIEV, Ukraine -- Ukrainian social media users have called for a boycott of Coca-Cola after it posted a festive map of Russia that included Crimea.

Coca-Cola republished the map to include Crimea following complaints from Russians.

The company originally posted a map that excluded the annexed peninsula, but backtracked when it received protest from Russians.

It quickly republished the photo to include Crimea, only for Ukrainians to threaten to boycott the company.

Coca-Cola has now removed the image altogether and apologized.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the US drinks manufacturer said it did not "support any political movements", adding:

"The company has removed the post and apologises for the situation that occurred."

The US embassy in Ukraine had earlier condemned the inclusion of Crimea, saying in an online statement:

"Coca-Cola's actions violate the official US position condemning Russia's illegal occupation of Crimea, which is and has always been an integral part of Ukraine."

Coca-Cola posted the original message on VK, Russia's biggest social network, on 30 December, with the caption:

"Celebrate winter holidays from Moscow to Vladivostok."

Following condemnation from Russians, it republished the image to include Crimea and went further, including the Kuril Islands - seized by Russia shortly before Japan's surrender in World War Two in 1945 - and Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave annexed from Germany in the same year.

Ukrainians were quick to respond on social media, with many using the hashtag "#BanColaCola".

Ukrainian MP Mustafa Nayem backed the boycott, saying:

"All countries which are the main market of Coca Cola like the European Union, the United States, they actually (are) recognising Crimea as a part of Ukraine and they've put sanctions against Russia.

"I think that a company like Coca Cola, which is an international company, should follow these rules and they should follow this way and recognise the same."

Oleh Lyashko, a populist Ukrainian politician, vowed that he would "never ever in (his) life drink Coca-Cola again".

He also posted an edited image of the Coca-Cola poster, with the words "Betrayal" replacing the brand's name.

Some - like Facebook user Volodymyr Petrenko - accused Coca-Cola of being "fascists".

Crimea was taken over by Russia in 2014 following months of protests that led to the downfall of Ukraine's pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych.

The majority of Crimea's 2.3 million population identify as Russians and speak Russian.

The EU and US condemned the annexation of Crimea and announced travel bans and asset freezes against a number of Russian and Ukrainian officials.

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We arrived in Kiev (Kyiv) on December 28, 1990 from Morristown, New Jersey, USA. This was back in the days of Perestroika and before Ukraine gained its independence from Moscow, in 1991. We lived in both Kiev and Odessa, Ukraine. After 20 years in the "Workers' Paradise" we returned to the United States of America. Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, is one of the more charming cities in Europe. This 1500-year old city, with a population of nearly 3 million people, is a leading industrial and commercial center of the country. This blog is a public service, for anyone interested in the political, business and social climates of Ukraine. Information is gathered from numerous international and local news sources, and updated 24/7. You are encouraged to leave comments on this blog, but you must have a free Google mail account.